Neel Kantha Uprety discusses his role at the Election Commission of Nepal and the changes that took place since 1990 through its role as a constitutionally appointed independent body. He details the changes and challenges encountered in voter registration methods, voter education, the type of electoral system used, and the creation of the election management body through legislation and the constitution. He also talks about the methods adopted to build trust among the people and the need to have open consultations between political parties through formal and informal meetings. He describes how the commission became more transparent over the years with increasing interaction with civil society through regular meetings, and grassroots level projects. Uprety details the election process in Nepal from the commission’s perspective in terms of scaling up staff, training, use of ballot boxes, the introduction of electronic voting, and procurement. He offers insights into common problems encountered on election day, such as voter identification and the use of identification cards, and discusses how to overcome them.

At the time of this interview, Neel Kantha Uprety was commissioner at the Election Commission of Nepal. He became involved in electoral work in Nepal in the early 1990s. He also worked for the United Nations as a senior election coordinator in Afghanistan and as an election observer in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. He earned a master's degree in economics and public administration in Nepal, and a post-graduate diploma and master's degree in computer science in the U.K.